KIRKUS REVIEW

A young pony learns about confidence
and patience at the Enchanted Pony Academy.

The Enchanted Pony Academy prepares magical Glitter Ponies to be pets of royal
children. Daisy has sparkly Glitter Pony hooves, but hers don’t produce glitter
as the others’ do, and she’s never showed a sign of magic. She feels plain among
the uniponies and pegaponies of her class, especially as most have already
discovered their magic gifts. In a refreshing plot, her classmates don’t ostracize
her, and she spends the time allotted to gift-development in improving her
knowledge of the school due to her own curiosity and desire to learn. Scott
also subverts the standard trope of the forbidden adventure off school grounds:
Daisy decides against going, then checks school maps and finds a path to their
river destination (to meet the seaponies) that’s completely on school grounds, allowing
her to lead her friends and keep everyone out of trouble. Her stress over her
lack of special gift reaches a peak with a surprise visit from their future royal
owners and the need for Daisy to perform. Her schoolmates strategize extra
cheering so the children know she’s special by how beloved she is—and then her
gift appears, cementing in her mind what the others already knew.

Gentle, positive, and surprisingly introspective for the genre. (Fantasy. 7-10)

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